Job Creation and Poverty Reduction: Lessons from Ghana: Policy Brief No. 14

This brief seeks to explain the mechanism by which poverty was reduced in Ghana over the period from 1991/92 to 2012/13

Abstract

This policy brief seeks to explain the mechanism by which poverty was reduced in Ghana over the period from 1991/92 to 2012/13. The data present us with a puzzle. Poverty was greatly reduced while employment in low labour productivity activities greatly expanded. Growth depended on the size of the resources boom. This directly increased agricultural incomes, through price rises and increased incomes from land, and indirectly urban incomes by an expansion in small scale urban wage employment opportunities not dependent on rises in labour productivity. The result was lower labour productivity and much lower poverty.

This research is part of the Gender, Growth and Labour Markets in Low-Income Countries programme

Citation

Teal, F. (2017). Job Creation and Poverty Reduction: Lessons from Ghana. GLMLIC Policy Brief No. 14. Available at: https://g2lm-lic.iza.org/publications/pb/pb14/

Job Creation and Poverty Reduction: Lessons from Ghana

Published 28 June 2017